Art Sibley, 1933-2021
Arthur Emerson Sibley, beloved husband of the late Margaret Warren Sibley, passed away peacefully on August 22, 2021 at home. The Sibley family is so grateful for the numerous caregivers that provided Dad great comfort during these past 4 months of his journey.
Born on January 6, 1933 in Milton, MA, Art was the oldest son of the late Arthur Howard Sibley & Helen Gertrude Sibley. He spent his early childhood growing up in Braintree, MA and graduated from Greenwich, CT High School. He attended Pace University in NYC, where he developed an interest in television production. His first job was working on the Steve Allen show.
In 1954, he met his future wife Peggy on a blind date. They were married in 1956 in Riverside, CT and made their first home in Meriden, CT. In that same year, he started A.E. Sibley, Inc., a Hercules explosives distributor that supplied many blasting projects throughout CT, MA and NY.
Later moving to Middletown, he was active in the Church of the Holy Trinity where he spearheaded the construction of the “new” St. Luke’s Home. He also was a founding member of INFORM (Industry for Middletown) which created a successful municipally managed industrial park.
In 1988, Art and Peggy moved to Old Lyme, where he became an active member of Old Lyme’s Zoning Board of Appeals for many years. In that role, he used his diplomatic talent in helping residents resolve issues in a sensitive and effective way.
Art was a hardworking husband and loving husband and father who possessed a larger-than-life personality. He was a wise counselor not only for his family but also for employees and friends alike. He led by example in always maintaining a high level of integrity. His number one love was being with family especially when delicious food was featured.
He loved working outside with his wife as their horticultural vision created many beautiful landscapes that still exist today. As a great lover of jazz, Art could often be seen at Bill’s Restaurant enjoying music and dancing with friends.
As his days were approaching sunset, he kept repeating over and over again how lucky a guy he was. He will be missed by his children Skip Sibley (and Sheree) of Old Lyme; Katharine Edmonds (and Bryson) of Birmingham, AL; Stephen Sibley of Fort Worth, TX and Anne Groleau (and Michael) of Traverse City, MI. He leaves 8 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren along with many nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his younger sister Laura Sibley Rhodes (and Fred) of Chatham, MA. He was predeceased by his sister Sara Sibley Lenhart and brother-in-law Mark Lenhart of Lyme, CT.
There will be a memorial service celebrating his life on Thursday, September 23rd. The service will begin at 10:30 AM at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church located in Old Lyme. Donations in his memory can be made to St. Ann’s Church, 82 Shore Rd, Old Lyme, CT. 06371.
Please visit www.fultontherouxoldlyme.com for directions and for the online guestbook.